Former Washington Redskins quarterback Doug Williams is returning to Grambling State as coach of the Tigers football team, the university confirmed late Monday.

Grambling State Athletic Director J. Lin Dawson announced his return in a statement, saying Williams has signed a four-year contract that begins March 1. Financial details were not disclosed in the statement.

Williams was the general manager of UFL's Virginia franchise in 2010. The former Grambling State quarterback was the MVP of Super Bowl XXII with the Redskins.

He later succeeded Eddie Robinson as coach at his alma mater, winning three Southwestern Athletic Conference titles from 1998 to 2003. . . .

Rutgers player Eric LeGrand made his first public appearance since being paralyzed in a game against Army more than four months ago.

LeGrand attended a "Laugh to Heal Comedy Fest Fundraiser" for him at the Rutgers Athletic Center on Saturday.

"I just want to thank everybody for coming out here today and I'm just going to keep on chopping during my rehab," LeGrand told the crowd of approximately 3,000 who attended the comedy show featuring Rutgers alumnus Bill Bellamy.

college basketball

Junior forward Ryan Pearson was named Colonial Athletic Association co-player of the week. Pearson averaged 19.5 points and 11.5 rebounds for the Patriots, who have won 13 consecutive games. . . .

Maryland freshman forward Alyssa Thomas was selected the ACC rookie of the week for a school-record sixth time. Thomas averaged 20.5 points and eight rebounds in two games this past week. She leads all ACC rookies in points, rebounds and steals. . . .

American senior forward Liz Leer is the Patriot League player of the week. Leer averaged 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 60 percent (15 of 25) from the field this past week.

- Kathy Orton

pro football

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch emerged with a positive outlook after attending a fourth consecutive day of federally mediated negotiations between the NFL and the players' union.

"Things are going well," said Batch, a member of the NFL Players Association executive committee. "We'll see how things progress over the coming days."

Batch and two other current players - Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita and New York Jets fullback Tony Richardson - left about six hours after the session began at the office of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. . . .

The Minnesota Vikings placed the franchise tag on Chad Greenway. Greenway has led the team in tackles for three straight seasons. He was chosen the team's 2010 defensive MVP.

misc.

Police in an Atlanta suburb said New Orleans Hornets backup point guard Jarrett Jack was arrested and charged with drunken driving. Snellville (Ga.) Police Chief Roy Whitehead said in an e-mail the 27-year-old former Georgia Tech star was pulled over early Sunday by an officer who clocked him at 66 mph in a 45-mph zone. Police said Jack's Mercedes was also weaving. . . .

The NBA All-Star Game earned its highest television rating since Michael Jordan's last appearance in 2003. The Western Conference's 148-143 win Sunday night on TNT featuring a duel between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James drew a 5.2 rating. That's up 37 percent from last year. . . .

The Daytona 500's television ratings, meantime, also are up from last year. Trevor Bayne's surprise win Sunday on Fox drew an 8.7 rating and 20 share. That's up 13 percent from the 7.7/16 in 2010, good news for a sport that has been losing viewers. . . .

Top-seeded Andy Roddick withdrew from this week's Delray Beach Tennis Championships due to flu-like symptoms. The eighth-ranked American complained of feeling ill before winning the Memphis title over Milos Raonic, 7-6, 6-7, 7-5, on Sunday. . . .

The Pittsburgh Penguins began addressing their banged-up lineup by acquiring forward James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen from the Dallas Stars in exchange for offensive defenseman Alex Goligoski.